This year could be world’s hottest year as June breaks records
Brussels, Belgium Reuters Last month was the hottest June on record, the EU’s climate change monitoring service said on Monday, continuing a streak of exceptional temperatures that some scientists said puts 2024 on track to be the world’s hottest recorded year. Every month since June 2023 – 13 months in a row – has ranked […]
Britain’s Labour aims for closer EU ties without reopening Brexit wounds
London, UK Reuters For a decade, leaving the European Union was the question that dominated British politics. These days it barely comes up. Which is clearly how Labour Party leader Keir Starmer likes it. He has worked diligently to win back the support of working class voters, millions of whom were lured away five years […]
Hungary takes EU presidency echoing Trump but likely to lack bite
Budapest, Hungary/Brussels, Belgium Reuters Hungary’s nationalist government launches its presidency of the European Union on Monday with a Trump-like call to “Make Europe Great Again” after EU lawmakers questioned whether it should be allowed to take on the role. Their concerns are based on Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s many clashes with Brussels over democratic norms. […]
EU leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as Commission chief
Updated: 10am (AEST) Brussels, Belgium Reuters European Union leaders agreed on Friday to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful executive body. At a summit in Brussels, the bloc’s 27 national leaders also picked former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as the […]
Ukraine starts EU membership talks in midst of war
Brussels, Belgium Reuters The European Union opened membership talks with Ukraine on Tuesday, giving the country a political boost in the midst of its war against Russia’s invasion, although a long and tough road still lies ahead before it could join the bloc. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, addressing the meeting in Luxembourg by video […]
Ukraine inches closer to EU dream after decade of war
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters A veteran of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution who is now fighting Russian forces, Yehor Sobolev knows the price of Kyiv’s decade-long drive to join the European Union as well as anyone. Having backed tough reforms as a lawmaker after the pro-democracy uprising 10 years ago, he says he will look on proudly from […]
North Macedonia parliament approves a new nationalist-dominated government
Skopje, North Macedonia Reuters North Macedonia’s lawmakers on Sunday approved a new nationalist-dominated government of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, whose party won general elections in May banking on voters’ anger at the slow pace of European Union integration. A third vote due to technical issues made the final tally 77 for and 22 against in […]
EU envoy says Georgia’s bid to join “practically frozen” over foreign agent law
Tbilisi, Georgia Reuters The European Union’s ambassador to Georgia said on Wednesday that the country’s process to join the bloc had been effectively halted by legislation on “foreign agents” that was signed into law this month. Georgia’s Interpress news agency quoted EU ambassador Pawel Herczynski as saying the law had “a negative impact on the […]
EU summit ends without agreement on top jobs
Brussels, Belgium Reuters European Union leaders ended a discussion on who should take the bloc’s top jobs for the next five years without agreement on Monday, aiming instead for a decision at a summit next week. The leaders’ meeting was the first since the European Parliament election, which saw gains for the centre-right and right-wing […]
Ukraine seeks help to shield and rebuild shattered cities
Berlin, Germany Reuters Ukraine and its allies drummed up support to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian missiles at a conference in Berlin on Tuesday and urged international businesses to put their faith, and billions of dollars, into post-war reconstruction. Kyiv hopes the recovery conference will cement its credentials as a future member of the European […]